


Truth hazard : Short Stories

by LadyKnight28



Series: Truth Hazard : Rae Siverling and the world of Resident Evil [4]
Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:21:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29954025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnight28/pseuds/LadyKnight28
Summary: These are supplemental one shots that span over the series in between events.These are best read after reading Kill The Messenger, Cold Candor and Flash Point.Enjoy.-LadyKnight28
Relationships: Albert Wesker/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Truth Hazard : Rae Siverling and the world of Resident Evil [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1777777
Comments: 24
Kudos: 2





	1. All work and no play

**Author's Note:**

> These are supplemental one shots that span over the series in between events.  
> These are best read after reading Kill The Messenger, Cold Candor and Flash Point.  
> Enjoy.
> 
> -LadyKnight28

Raccoon City State College Women's Dormitory 

Rae and Jessica's Room.

April 26th, 1998.

8:12 PM

Two young women worked in silence in their dormitory room, focused on their scholarly activities. Rae Siverling was reading a popular book that was typically passed to aspiring journalists called “Working” by Studs Terkel. The book was an account of interviews of working people around the world, and is considered a great example of guerrilla journalism. Rae's roommate, Jessica, was deep into her science homework. However, things were not going her way.

“Oh my god, fuck this.” Jessica hissed and slammed her organic chemistry book shut. 

Rae looked up from her assigned reading for class with a peaked brow. As the semester had gone on, her roommate has become increasingly frustrated with her work load. May examinations were only a month away. She sat up from her blow up mattress, and set her book to the side. Jessica had her own bed, but was barely ever around to use it on account of her steady boyfriend who lived in an off campus apartment. She offered it to Rae on nights she was not coming home.

“Whats wrong, Jess?” Rae asked concerned, knowing full well the intricacies of the problem would be lost on her if Jessica cared to explain. She just wanted to be supportive. 

“I am being reminded why I have to retake this undergrad class. Its because I suck at this. Cant I just be an environmentalist without having to do all this? I am never going to give a damn about this when I am advocating against deforestation.” Jessica declared passionately and dramatically fell back into her bed, her head hitting her bed pillow.

The “this” that Jessica was referring to looked massively complicated to Rae. Her roommate's sketch book for the class was open for her to see. It was drawings of atoms and their specific connections to other elements and such. They were meticulously drawn and Rae could not imagine where to even start when it came to asking how she could help. 

“Well I am sure the tutor services could be of some use” Rae offered but Jessica rolled her eyes at the suggestion.

“A graduate student in an undergrad's tutor session? No. I have some pride , Rae.” Jessica countered. She paused for a moment to breathe and then looked back over at Rae. “Distract me with something interesting, I need a mental breather.” 

Rae smiled at her friend as she tucked a loose blonde strand behind her ear. One thing that was very valuable about their friendship was that Jessica never postured herself above Rae for being a science major. Jessica actually found the written word a powerful thing, and enjoyed Rae's academic path. Rae luckily did have some news to share that might be interesting.

“Well, my academic adviser set up some interviews for me around town. I have to conduct them, write about them and if they don’t suck, they will put it in the school newspaper.” Rae said and she saw her roommate sit up a bit on her elbow.

“Who are you interviewing?” Jessica asked. 

“She gave me a pretty long list” Rae said. “I don’t think I am supposed to get to them all. I have it around here somewhere....but anyway, Its places like Apple Inn, Kendo's gun shop, J's bar and some special forces group over at the police station. I dont know, I haven’t read it all in full yet, its a lot.” Rae informed her friend.

“Hold up. The police station? Your adviser set you up over there?” Rae saw Jessica furrow her eyebrows.

“Yeah , why?” Rae said.

“Thats weird. Have you ever been in there?” Jessica asked and Rae shook her head. Jessica laughed. “Of course you wouldn’t, you are miss goody too shoes.” Jess snickered and Rae stuck her tongue out.

“Like you are some bad girl who gets into trouble with the law.” Rae shot back. She watched her friend hold up a single finger.

“Once.” Jessica interjected. “Just once.” Rae watched her pause with a devious smile for dramatic effect. 

“Are you going to tell me what happened or what?” Rae raised her eyebrows.

“I snuck into Arklay State Park after hours. I wanted to see if I could do the trail in the dark without help. Just something I wanted to prove to myself. In retrospect, I should have brought a friend or Eric, even though we weren’t dating yet. Anyways, the park ranger saw me and phoned in suspicious activity. Next thing I know, RPD officers are storming the trail with lights on their guns and I quickly made myself known so I would not get shot.” Jessica said casually. Rae was literally teetering back and forth on her blow up mattress, in shock.

“What the hell Jess!” Rae exclaimed and she heard her friend laugh at her reaction.

“Anyways, they bring me down to the station. This happened like a half a year ago. They were about to book me and slap some charges on me when one of those young , hot guys from the that special forces, S.T.A.R.S. I think they call it, basically talked them out of it. He more or less said people in basic training scale the wilderness at night to get good at it and we shouldn’t punish potential soldiers of America, and they should cut me a little slack. He got real ridiculously patriotic with it, and made a scene. A bunch of the other police members came out to witness it. It was a laugh riot. They let me go but said if they ever caught me again, I would be charged that time for sure, along with the prior offense too.” Jessica said and Rae just stared in disbelief.

“So I am going to conduct interviews about a group of people who let college kids get away with dumb shit in the woods, good to know.” Rae teased and waited for Jessica's reaction, but it did not give the one she thought it might. Jessica's face grew distant.

“There was one man there that stuck out to me as well, I don’t think he was a fan of the whole charade. A real quiet member, stood in the back during the whole thing, but it was hard not to notice him. He was tall, blonde hair sleeked back and he wore dark sunglasses while indoors. It was really odd. But Rae, it looked and felt like if it were up to him, he would have had me charged and spending a few nights in jail. He had such a serious presence about him, I cant forget it. Hopefully you wont bump into that guy.” Jessica warned and Rae only blinked.

“Well, not to worry, because everything turned out fine for you. I am sure if that wanted you booked, it would have happened already. I will be okay going over there, but I will be sure to give it my best impression.” Rae volunteered and reached over and put a hand on her friend's wrist. “No worries Jess.” 

Jessica smiled lightly. Her cellphone started to ring. Her face lit up. This late in the evening could only be one person and Rae could guess who it was. Jessica answered.

“Hey babe. Whats up?....Yeah? Tonight? I would love to. I ll meet you down there. Okay. Bye.”

Jessica hung up her call from her cell phone and looked at Rae excitedly.

“Eric and some of his friends are going to J's bar. He called me to come, but I am sure I can bring friends. Come start your interview early with one of the staff and get some drinks with us.” Jessica urged while nudging Rae on the shoulder.  
Rae wanted to go, but she really needed to finish her assigned reading and get some rest, for tomorrow, she was going to start planning out her interview schedule. 

“Ugh,not tonight Jess. I have work to do.” Rae protested and she saw Jess pout a bit.

“So do I, but I am gonna take a little break. So should you.” Jessica tried to persuade, but Rae had made up her mind.

“I ll pass. Next time, after I have ironed out my next couple of weeks.” Rae offered and started to reach for her book she had set down.

“Fine! But one of these days you are going to regret not hanging out with moi enough!” Jessica chaffed at Rae as she flipped her hair theatrically, and Rae managed a little laugh.

“Yeah yeah, have fun. Be safe.” Rae said and slunk back into her blow up mattress with her book.

“I wont be home tonight. Gonna sleep at Eric's. Bed is yours” Jessica informed her as she went to grab her jacket and purse. “Later Rae.” Jessica said and closed their dorm room door.

Rae thought for a moment about what kind of people she would be meeting for her upcoming interviews, and then returned to the pages of her book, getting lost in the words.


	2. Chapter 2 : Nosy Woman

Raccoon City Times Building – Photo copy room

September 12th, 1998

3:12 PM

Typically, life as an intern can be stressful. The usual complaints of fetching supplies for the employees, not wanting to offend any company cultural standard or practice, and lastly, just wanting to make a lasting good impression would be enough to make any young intern seriously doubt if the working life was for them.

However, Rae's life as an Intern at Raccoon City Times was stressful for an altogether different reason.

Rae was looking for someone within the company. She only became an intern for said company in August, so she could find them. Every day that passed that she did not identify who she was after put her one day late on doing the right thing. She would just have to get more invasive with her methodologies, and she was ready to do that on a particular person she felt it necessary to do it to. 

Jessica's memorial service was finally held back in late August, after police were done using her body as evidence for the ongoing , unsolved case of her murder. Rae knew who the murderers were. It was Umbrella. But she couldn't pin the blame on them until she found the other journalist that Doctor Lennard tipped off. Only then, with jointed effort, could she turn the gears of justice in the right direction.

The redundant sound of the photo copy machine printing copies was the only noise in the room that Rae stood in, and it brought her back to the present. She stood by the machine, her hand placed on it's warm exterior as it chugged away at its demanded task. 

She was not alone. She suddenly became aware of one of the established journalists that happened to be using the other photo copy machine in the room as well. He was a tall man, later twenties, hair in a bun.

His name was Ben Bertolucci, and Rae had it on good authority that he was the journalist she had been searching for. He had not said much to her since she joined Raccoon City Times. He never asked her for anything, never offered advice. He only kept to himself and was very withdrawn. Every other employee had been more than happy to pawn off some busy work on her, ask her to go get coffee from Moon's donuts, or talk her ear off to impress her. But not him..

Ever so often this past month, in the break room, when there were a lot of people near by, she would name drop Doctor Robert Lennard. She would talk about how he gave classes at her college, and that it was so sad that his missing case for him and his wife had yet to be solved. Everyone gave a standard, expected reaction of sad empathy. But not him. Ben could not get out of the break room fast enough whenever she did that. 

Rae tapped her finger nails on the machine, feeling the words bubbling up on her lips. They were alone, she could ask him right now, but she felt like she couldn't do it. 

What if he was a journalist that worked for Umbrella? What if Ben helped Wesker or anyone else make sure Lennard was silenced. She could not rule out the possibility, but for sake of progress, she had to consider how likely such a scenario would be. 

_Wesker ___

__One thing about throwing herself into work was that it allowed her to not be too distracted by fleeting thoughts of him. The conflict chasm was too wide within her, and it had depths Rae did not want to explore. She didn't have the time, for being in the present was too precious. However, despite her efforts, he would come to her in dreams. His form looming, her dark sunglasses the first to appear and then the rest of his body materialize from the shadow. His gloved hands would reach out from the darkness, palm open, waiting for her to take his hand. She would see him at the edge of her blow up mattress, and sometimes he would take her, and sometimes he would not. In the end, it did not matter. He was gone, she had not seen him since that strange July night in his apartment. His existence did not help the matters she had to attend to._ _

__She saw Ben Bertolucci look over at her from his copy machine. His eyes were questioning, almost suspicious of her. She could feel a distrustful tension between them both. Rae tried to warmly smile at him, but a half-fake grin was all she could muster. That must have tickled him, because she heard him audibly scoff. He collected his copies and exited the room._ _

__Rae felt a little frustration nip at her, and it must have triggered an impulse in her, because instead of attending to her own copies, she found herself exiting the photocopy room and following him._ _

__He went up the roof floor that overlooked the city line, and Rae paused for a moment at the stairs, wandering if she should follow him up. She certainly had let a feeling take hold of her just now, and she needed to dial it back. But Also, Rae liked to follow her impulses pretty often._ _

___Fuck it ____ _

____Rae jolted up the stairs, and made it outside to join him. He was leaning on a utility room door under an awning. He had a cigarette in his mouth, and one hand in his pocket. He looked like he was expecting her._ _ _ _

____“What do you want , kid? You've been eye fucking me since you got here, so spit it out.” He snapped, and then took a long drag on his cigarette , blowing smoke in her direction._ _ _ _

____Rae was pretty sure she was only a few years younger than him, so the kid comment was stupid to her, but that really did not matter. She stepped towards him, waving a hand at the smoke._ _ _ _

____“How do you know Doctor Lennard?” Rae asked bluntly. She saw him smile a bit._ _ _ _

____“You first.” He retorted and raised his eyebrows._ _ _ _

____“I was a student of his.” Rae lied._ _ _ _

____“Oh really? Is Viral Biology a part of the Mass communications curriculum for journalism students these days?” He scowled, and took another drag. “Come on Kid, you need to be a better liar than that.”_ _ _ _

____Rae shrugged her shoulders and took another step towards him._ _ _ _

____“It could have been an elective.” She said and crossed her arms, even though Dr, Lennard taught very advanced classes that were not available as electives to people outside the major. She looked down at her heels for a moment and than back at him. Her gut told her that this man was just as scared as she was about making the wrong move. She rose her blue hues to his brown ones._ _ _ _

____“Doctor Lennard approached me about the Umbrella corporation about six months ago. I was lined up to speak with the public relations liaison for the company as a school project, and he insisted I speak to him instead. He then....relayed some troubling information to me. And now he is missing, but I believe him to be dead.”_ _ _ _

____She watched him regard her for a moment. He took one last drag on his cigarette and snuffed it out with his shoe. He adjusted the collar of his shirt and then ran a thumb over his chin._ _ _ _

____“ Spilling everything you know.?That is an excellent way to get killed....Rae, is it?” He said. She shook her head yes but maintained intense eye contact. She was eager to hear what he was going to say next._ _ _ _

____“Listen, I am already working on something. Do yourself a favor, and butt out of this, if you know whats good for you. And maybe, just maybe, I ll take you under my wing if I can manage it. But don’t count on it.” He said, he started to walk past her, but Rae stopped him by placing a gentle hand on his arm._ _ _ _

____“Please, this is personal for me. I have to see some justice done. Let us work together. Doctor Lennard came to you because he wanted to do the right thing. Lets finish that for him.” Rae offered. Ben paused for a moment, looked the other direction for a bit and gave an audible sigh._ _ _ _

____“I will think about it. But until then, you need to find something else to do other than pester me.” He said and started to walk past her. Rae stood there, feeling like a yard dog who has been scolded for doing things natural to them. When he made it to the door that led to the staircase back inside, he turned and looked at her._ _ _ _

____“I am going out of town for a few weeks. When I get back, lets meet at the Apple Inn Lobby bar. We can talk about this over drinks.” He said and then left her out on the roof._ _ _ _

____Rae sighed. She guessed that was progress, despite how it made her feel. She leaned against the same wall he was having a smoke break on and looked out at the Raccoon City Skyline._ _ _ _

____“I have got to do something....” She said softly and closed her eyes, leaning her head back. “Soon....I have got to do it soon...”_ _ _ _


	3. Dont even think about it

Don't even think about it 

Raccoon City Police Station – Chief’s office

September 17th, 1998

9:27 PM

Police Chief Irons sat at his desk, gripping a taxidermy knife in one hand, while his other hand massaged his forehead. Beads of sweat formed at his temples, and he pricked little chips and holes into his wooden desk while he swam in his vigorous thoughts.

He was very stressed out.

He and the Mayor, Michael Warren, had their work cut of for them. The people of Raccoon City had a lot of questions, and the Umbrella corporation was paying him and warren to deflect them as best as they could, but it was beginning to become too much to ask, no matter the generous stipend. 

He had already disbanded the S.T.A.R.S, and honestly, most of them had skipped town shortly after his move to do so. Barry Burton and his family were not able to be located, but there were whispers he had moved them to Canada. He was too far for Irons to care. Chris Redfeild apparently was in Europe, which was also a bit out of his reach too. The know it all kid, Rebecca Chambers, had left as well and word had it she had already re-enrolled at a top notch, high profile university to continue her doctorate. As for Albert Wesker, he was presumed dead. Of all the S.T.A.R.S. to die, he was the one who was not supposed to. But he did and it was laughable. 

That was fine by Irons. He never liked Wesker. Wesker was everything Irons wished he could be. Intelligent, handsome, respected, calm demeanor with a command of a room. Irons felt a wave of rage inducing jealousy splash upon him, but he took a few deep breaths to calm him down. He did not have time to pay ire on dead colleagues. 

The only remaining members in town that he knew of was that pilot Brad Vickers, and that pestering bitch, Jill Valentine. He wondered how long they would hang about, for they weren’t getting paid any more, and he would know if they found other work in the city. He had some officers watching them, after he fed them some lies that Valentine and Vickers were corrupt cops who might have done something to their teammates out in the woods. 

However, his orders was just to disband S.T.A.R.S. and control the investigation efforts away from finding anything serious, and further more, ease the public eye away from recent events last summer. He didn’t have to go after any of the remaining members of S.T.A.R.S, but for good measure, he would on the side, just in case, and honestly, because he could. 

The bigger problem now was that stupid researcher fool Lennard had talked. He had went and talked to some one, before he and Warren could learn anything about him. There were handfuls of Umbrella researchers working and living in Raccoon City, he could not possibly keep track of them all. But, he was informed that the researcher Lennard had been neutralized because he had defected from the company and maybe contacted members of the press to leak company secrets. Preliminary investigations from the Umbrella security team have identified a Ben Bertolucci from Raccoon City Times newspaper company, and a graduate student from the local college, Rae Siverling. Nothing was confirmed yet, but mounting evidence was showing that Lennard at least had contact with them before he was silenced back in July. In fact, Rae Siverling was the one who filed a missing person's case on Lennard, months back. She was also seen at the station questioning the status of a murdered civilian, Jessica something, who happened to be the woman's roommate from school. If anything, this student knew more than she was letting on, but was doing a terrible job at keeping herself off-radar if she truly knew something. 

Warren and him were holding press conferences daily to quell public fears of the unsolved murders. They had not picked a scape goat yet, but it appeared Umbrella PR was biding time before they were to give he and Warren their next directive. He hoped they would supply an explanation soon, for it was growing tiresome. His direct payments were conditional. If he did not keep Umbrella out of the spot light, the checks would stop rolling in. So these persons of Interest, this Ben and Rae, were now very problematic to him. The virtual report he received on Siverling and Bertolucci was enough in his book to go ahead and make some first moves before they go and talk. If they were innocent, it would be a shame, but if they werent, well, he would have done the right thing then. 

They needed to be taken care of. 

Irons decided he would deal with the woman first. 

He would call the campus resource officer over at the college, and say that Rae Siverling was needed for questioning in connection to the Arklay murders, and needed to be brought in. He would see what she knew, grill her real good, and if he needed to silence her, he would. If she was pretty, he might add her to this taxidermy collection, but that would all be contingent on how good she looked.

He reached for the phone in his office to make such a call, but his hand never reached the phone handle. 

A sucker punch from behind his chair nicked him good on his cheek. The force of it knocked him off his chair and onto the hard wood floor of his office.

“What the fuck!” He cursed as he hit the floor, grabbing his cheek in pain. That punch did not feel like a human hit him. It throbbed with the pain of being punched over and over again, even though the punch was well over. He looked up to try and identify his assailant.

A man in a dark black, long coat appeared from behind his chair. The man effortlessly tossed his office chair to the side. It crashed into the wall, knocking down some of his art and taxidermy animals. He was about to cuss again when the man's face came into view.

Irons knew that face. He knew that face with sunglasses anywhere. The face was grinning at him in the most unnerving of ways. 

“Albert Wesker....you’re supposed to be dead...” Irons said slowly and noticed some blood on his hand gripping his cheek. He was bleeding. He tried to get up but Wesker's black boot pressed into his stomach , pushing him back into the ground.

“I am what ever I choose to be.” Irons heard him say, and he felt the pressure increase on his abdomen.

“What is the meaning of this!” Irons hissed in pain. After a few more moments of writhing under Wesker's boot, Irons felt him ease up and step back.

“This is a simple visit , Brian. You will be tasked with two things this evening, and moving forward you must satisfy these tasks until your dying breath. One, you are to tell no one that I am alive. Not a single soul.” Wesker said to him. 

He stepped closer to Irons now, and leaned down. Irons felt Wesker reach a hand out to the collar of his shirt. Irons was a bigger man that Wesker, so he was justifiably surprised when Wesker lifted him up with ease, as if he weighed nothing. He dangled irons by his clothing, that was starting to rip from trying to support his weight. Wesker brought Iron's eyes down to his eye level.

“If you venture to harm a single golden thread of hair on Rae Siverling's head, I will eviscerate your existence from this plane. I will take my time, and make your death as slowly painful as I possibly can, and trust me , I have already died, so I know exactly how to make you feel worse than I did.”

With that, Irons felt himself get dropped heavily. He hit the floor of his office hard, for a second time this evening, and he coughed as he tried to force air back into his lungs to catch his breath. 

“Do we understand each other, Brian?” Irons heard him ask. Irons finally breathed and looked up at the man he now loathed more than anything.

“Yes Albert. I get it.” He said begrudgingly. He saw a smirk spread across Wesker's lips.

“Good. Now you can go back to being a little public relations lap dog for Umbrella. Keep up the good work Brian, and they will keep feeding you little dog treats.” Wesker said, and he stepped away, no doubt going through his private office entrance that only he was supposed to use. 

Irons groaned in agony, but slowly rose as the footsteps of Wesker became lighter and more distant. He pulled his chair back to his desk and sat down. He reached for his taxidermy knife to start pitting holes into his desk again. He was not entirely sure what just happened, but he was surely too scared to keep thinking about it, so he moved on to the pressing matters of dealing with Ben Bertolucci. In doing so, he did his best to forget the name Rae Siverling, for lest he face the wrath of his dead colleague coming back from him again.


End file.
